REGION NEWS

Spring 2019 Get ready to ride!

Friday, June 21, 2019 Celebrate the opening of ION by enjoying 11 days of free service Find details at across the GRT network from opening day to Canada Day. grt.ca/ION See pages 4 and 5 for more information.

Ontario Renovates program Meeting the Smart Cities Challenge improving lives Page 3 This community has been passionate about the Smart Cities Challenge! A huge thank you to everyone who supported our efforts to win $50 million to improve our community. Whether you attended an event, shared your ideas online, offered up your tech talents or helped spread the word, your support and solutions will make a difference. We were one of five cities across Canada shortlisted to win the challenge. Our pledge was to become the best community for kids in Canada. By leveraging technology and data-enabled solutions, we’ll be able to improve early childhood Making connections to development, youth mental health and high school graduation rates. maximize wellness Page 7 On May 14, 2019, Infrastructure Canada announced that Montreal got the prize, but here in Waterloo Region, we achieved many wins that will benefit children and youth. • Over 40 solutions were developed. • Over 50 partnerships were built (among the private, tech, social service, education and research sectors). • A youth engagement model created. We heard from young newcomers, LGBTQ2+, Indigenous, youth with disabilities as well as youth from all municipalities. • $105 million of direct in-kind or cash investments in the project from community Questions or comments? partners. Contact 519-575-4400 For more information, visit www.smartwr.ca and follow @SmartWatRegion on TTY 519-575-4608 Instagram and Twitter. Alternate formats of this document are available upon request. www.regionofwaterloo.ca @RegionWaterloo RegionWaterloo Cannabis How to talk to your children

Although most youth in One in five Ontario do not use cannabis, students in Grades even occasional use has 7 to 12 said they significant risks. used cannabis at Fly least once in 2017. from The facts, cannabis: 1. Is illegal for anyone under Parents, caregivers 9 and families play a the age of 19 to buy, use, possess or grow home significant role in their children’s life. Start 2. Can be addictive and affect brain development the conversation: ! • Be open 3. Increases the risk for mental health problems Have • Talk often • Be a role model 4. Use with other substances more time can increase the chances • Stay connected of negative effects for the things • Be prepared • Know their friends 5. Can double the risk of death and serious injury in that matter a collision Resources: 6. Is linked with poor Cannabis Legislation Website: performance in school, www.ontario.ca/page/cannabis-legalization lower grades and increased Region of Waterloo Cannabis Website: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/cannabis risk of dropping out Cannabis and Driving Infographic: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/cannabisanddriving

519-648-2256 | 4881 Fountain Street North, Breslau PUBLIC HEALTH AND EMERGENCY SERVICES FlyYKF @FlyYKF waterlooairport.ca

Save the All businesses in date! Smoking Waterloo region must laws have post new Smoke Free Ontario signs changed for by June 14, 2019. Saturday, August 25, 2018 (rain or shine) Saturday,10 a.m. – August4 p.m. 17, 2019 workplaces, The Region will provide 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (rain or shine) restaurants and free signage to all local businesses. Visit bars to include regionofwaterloo.ca/ cannabis smokefreesigns for pick-up locations and and vaping. information. waterlooairport.ca/AFD

REGION NEWS 2 Ontario Renovates program improving lives A program that helps homeowners pay for “The program supported us with $35,000 worth much-needed renovations is helping enhance of renovations, which had an amazing impact on lives. our child and their ability to be more independent in their own home.” “This came at a time when our child’s disability was getting worse and the cost of these The program also provides loans to fix health renovations was out of reach,” said one family, or safety issues in homes such as mould who asked to remain anonymous. or electrical problems. It is available to homeowners with low or moderate income. The family received a forgivable loan from Ontario Renovates to make the washrooms and For more information on eligibility and to entrance to their home wheelchair accessible. apply, visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/ ontariorenovates.

Region partnership with Community Thinking Justice Initiative promotes inclusion about home Tenants in Waterloo Region Housing are working been successful in schools. Recent research child care? together to help older adults who identify as found that these groups in Waterloo Region, LGBTQ+ feel more welcomed and supported in which connect youth who identify as LGBTQ+ to Think licensed. their community. each other and to resources in the community, helped to decrease feelings of isolation. The project, the first of its kind for community housing in Waterloo Region, is a partnership Studies suggest that some older adults who between Housing Services and Community identify as LGBTQ+ are also at a greater risk for Justice Initiatives. social isolation. Tenants are gathering every other week to get to know each other and share ideas on how to build allies and live more openly in their identities. Participants will discuss what a caring and welcoming community should look like and share their experiences with gender identity. The goal is to share insights with other older adults living Get the quality you deserve in Waterloo Region Housing communities to ensure everyone and flexibility you need. feels safe and supported in their The Region of Waterloo’s Home Child Care neighbourhoods. program is for children up to age 12. Our program is available 24/7 on a full or part The project is modelled after time basis and can accommodate varied or student-led groups that have regular schedules. You may also qualify for help to pay for the cost. For rates and to register, visit: Are you emergency ready? www.regionofwaterloo.ca/homechildcare Alert Waterloo Region is your local emergency Visit www.AlertWR.ca to sign up for notifications COMMUNITY SERVICES notification system. AlertWR is a service that and learn about local risks and Children’s Services allows residents to receive important public emergency preparedness. AlertWR safety messages in the event of large scale is a partnership emergencies such as floods, severe weather, between police, or significant power outages. Residents and local municipalities businesses near an emergency can be informed and the Region of using geo-mapping technology. Notifications can Waterloo. be delivered to home/business phones, mobile Alert phones, text and email. Waterloo Region Phone Text Email

REGION NEWS 3 Get ready to ride!

Mark your calendar for ION opening weekend. ION light rail service starts on Friday, June 21. Opening ceremony begins at at 10:30 a.m. with ION light rail service to How to ride ION free service follow. Riders will enjoy across • Get your EasyGo fare card. the Transit (GRT) network from • Tap your card on the platform card reader before you board. opening day until Canada Day. • Keep your fare with you. • Trains will arrive at each station every 10 to 15 Opening weekend service minutes depending on time of day. • Riding end-to-end takes about 45 minutes. • Friday, June 21 from noon to 8 p.m. • Saturday, June 22 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. • Sunday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Free shuttle buses will travel between Fairway and Conestoga stations on Friday and Saturday. There’s a lot to celebrate! Check out the full list of opening weekend events at grt.ca/IONevents. GRT’s system-wide network changes go into effect on Monday, June 24, 2019. Summer service GRT’s summer service changes start Monday, June 24. Free service Riders will enjoy 11 days of free service across the GRT network from June 21 to July 1, 2019. Ride for free on: • ION light rail • ION bus • iXpress • MobilityPLUS and Kiwanis • All local routes ION bus ION bus is the first step toward light rail in Cambridge. On June 24, 2019 ION buses will start running on the ION bus route between Fairway station and Ainslie Street Terminal. ION buses have a number of special features: • USB charging stations GRT bus on King Street, • Wifi Uptown Waterloo • High-back seating and more

REGION NEWS 4 My New Ride – trip planning tool ION stations Bus connections

As GRT prepares to welcome train service, we want our riders to feel prepared as well. Conestoga 201, 202, 6, 7, 9, 14, 21, 29, 31 GRT trips will change once ION is fully operational and we flip the switch on our network changes. North eld 9, 19, 73 To help our riders get comfortable with the new system we’ve created My New Ride, a temporary trip planning tool, that will allow riders to preview what their new transit trip will look like ahead of Research and 9 ION service launch and the network changes. Technology Riders are encouraged to visit grt.ca/mynewride, to get ready for their new transit experience and University 201, 9, 13, 19, become familiar with how their routes will be changing. of Waterloo 30, 31, GO

Laurier - Waterloo 12, 29, 202 Park

Waterloo Public 5, 7, 16 GRT network changes Square

roll out June 24, 2019 Willis Way 5, 7, 16 A new way to experience transit in Waterloo Region is Allen 7, 16 approaching as GRT gets ready Grand River to make tracks with ION. 4, 7, 16 Hospital When ION trains begin full service, how Central 204, 6, 7, 8, you travel with GRT will change. You may Station 20, 34, GO find that the bus route you typically use has

been replaced by an ION train, or has been New customer Kitchener 204, 8, 20 redesigned so that it connects at an ION City Hall station. Your route’s name, number or where service centre Victoria 6, GO you transfer may have changed and your Park route schedule has definitely changed as GRT began distribution of EasyGO buses will run more often. fare cards in March and there were Queen 204, 1, 3, 6 some challenges along the way. What riders can expect: 204, 1, 3, 4, We appreciate your patience as we worked Frederick 7, 8, 20 • More than 25 routes will change to through technical difficulties with our vendor. GRT Customer connect directly to ION stations Service Centre Kitchener • Service will be more frequent on 19 routes If you experience any issues with your card 3 Market and hours of service will be increased on or the online system when loading your card, 16 routes please report them at grt.ca/cardform. We Borden 205, 2 thank you for your feedback and are using this • Every downtown route will serve at least information to make improvements. one ION station Mill 205, 3 • 144 new stops are being added, with Later this year, GRT will be welcoming riders to nearly 800 stop changes overall our new customer service centre at King and Block 201, 6, 22, • ION buses in Cambridge will begin serving Benton Streets in Kitchener. Line 26, 33 their designated route along Hespeler The new centre will provide improved 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, Road, replacing the 200 iXpress between customer service. Riders will be able to pick 12, 23, 27, 28, Fairway 52, 110, 901 Ainslie Terminal and Fairway Station up the EasyGO fare card and make purchases Park and • Passenger transfers will shift from in person. They will also be able to get ride facility information on our services, routes and get terminals, to on-street connections and Sportsworld 203, 52, 72 away from Charles Street Terminal, Forest help with planning their trip. GO Glen and Highland Hills Updates on the new customer service centre Pinebush 51, 67, GO ION also means new transit stations will will be made available at grt.ca. be built at the , Cambridge 203, 51, 53, 56, Conestoga College and Sunrise Centre. 60, 61, 64, 67, Centre 75, GO For schedule information visit grt.ca. Can-Amera 51, 60 GO

Delta 51, 52 GO

51, 52, 53, 54, Ainslie 55, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 111, GO

New train service, more bus service, improved customer service and easy fare payment with the EasyGO fare card – whether you’re a loyal rider or first time user, it’s never been a better time to take GRT! For more information visit grt.ca.

REGION NEWS 5 KNOW THE FACTS: TRAFFICKnow INJURIES the facts:IN WATERLOO REGION Traffic injuries in Waterloo Region DidDid you you know?know? The number one cause of injury is rear-end collisions. Half of these are at intersections. #1 causePedestrians of injury and cyclists are most vulnerableof these at are is rear-endcrosswalks. collisions. 1/2 at intersections. • 56 per cent of pedestrians who are hit by vehiclesPedestrians have the and right cyclistsof way are most • 74 per centvulnerable of collisions at arecrosswalks. at signalized intersections Turningof pedestrians drivers should always expect andof cycling who are hit by collisions are 56%respect vehicles people have walking the and biking.74% at signalized Not yieldingright of way is the cause of most roundaboutintersections More bike lanes and multi-use collisions.Turning drivers should always expect and respect Entering driverspeople must walking yield and to biking.vehicles in all trails coming to Waterloo Region lanes to the left. Did you know there are approximately 720 km of cycling lanes and Take an extraNot second. yielding Give is everyonethe cause a safe of most journey. Learn more at SafeRoadsWR.com trails in Waterloo Region? Currently, multi-use trails and separated roundabout collisions. bike lanes account for about 12 per cent. The rest is made up of on- road bike lanes and paved shoulders. The Region’s updated Moving Forward plan recommends increased Entering drivers must yield to vehicles funding to improve our active transportation network by 2031. This in all lanes to the left. includes expanding our current network and upgrading and building Take an extra second. more separated bike lanes and trails. The plan calls for an estimated total of 795 km of cycling lanes and trails. Give everyone a safe journey. Investments to improve the Region’s active transportation network will Learn more at SafeRoadsWR.com help address some concerns raised by residents while providing more transportation options and fulfilling one of the goals of Moving Forward.

Have your say! Local municipalities launch public engagement platform The Region of Waterloo has partnered with Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo to launch an online public engagement platform called Engage Waterloo Region (EngageWR). The new user-friendly platform gives citizens an opportunity to have their say on local projects through a variety of tools. A single registration gives participants full access to all online public engagement opportunities for the Region and the cities. Registered users can tailor their preferences to receive notifications about topics that mean the most to them. Check out www.engagewr.ca to see how it works and register with the platform to stay informed about current and future topics of interest.

REGION NEWS 6 Region of Waterloo Community Paramedicine Program… making connections to maximize wellness Paramedic Services is pleased to pilot a new program to improve patient access to health and community services while directing them away when possible from emergency departments, hospitals and 911. The Community Paramedicine program is a non-emergency service, staffed by Community Paramedics and funded by the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN). High users of 911 and the Emergency Department are visited by a Community Paramedic to identify the reasons why they are using acute care services while assessing what supports may be needed in order to remain safe and supported at home. Once a person’s needs are identified, the Community Paramedic connects them to appropriate services in the community and may continue to partner with other agencies to provide complementary care. This program will come to residents in their home, shelter or in the community to perform assessments, give referrals and help individuals navigate the healthcare system. For more details, visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/PSV.

The right Working information, together to the right way respond to the Help us get the right information to opioid crisis you, using the channels you prefer! Take our five minute survey at Waterloo Region is a caring community www.engagewr.ca/information. committed to working together to respond to the opioid crisis. Over the last two years, more than 130 members of Cities, Townships and the Region of our community have died from opioid overdose. Overdose and Waterloo provide a wide range of opioid-related paramedic service calls also continue to rise. programs and services to citizens across Waterloo Region. From To address the crisis, community leaders have come together to recreation programs and public develop an opioid response plan that builds on the work of the Waterloo transit to garbage collection and Region Integrated Drugs Strategy. Strategies that prevent problematic by-law enforcement, we affect the drug use, reduce harm to people and community, support recovery from lives of residents every day. addiction, and address crime related to substance use are needed as part of a community solution. We want to know what matters to you most and how you want to We can all be part of the solution by reducing stigma, removing barriers receive municipal information. Help to services and making all community members feel included. us by sharing your thoughts. To learn more about Waterloo Region’s integrated response, watch a quick video at bit.ly/ROWDrugStrategy and visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/opioidresponse.

Join the StratChat conversation Help us set our priorities for the Region of Waterloo 2019–2023 Strategic Plan. www.regionofwaterloo.ca/StratChat

REGION NEWS 7 Council contacts Regional Chair Karen Redman [email protected] 519-575-4585 (R) Councillors Cambridge Karl Kiefer [email protected] Visit for 519-575-4404 Ext. 3408 (R) 519-653-0290 (H) Kathryn McGarry [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3404 (R) spring 519-740-4517 Ext. 4666 (W) Helen Jowett Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum and [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3406 (R) 519-654-9388 Ext. 227 (W) 226-750-8658 (C) summer Kitchener Tom Galloway [email protected] family fun! 519-575-4404 Ext. 3401 (R) 519-578-2112 (H) Visit our website for details on all Michael Harris of our exhibits and events. [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3409 519-404-3187 (C) Geoff Lorentz [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3413 (R) 519-741-1494 (H) McDougall Cottage Elizabeth Clarke National Historic Site Historic Site Visit websites for details and schedule. [email protected] *Note McDougall Cottage is closed Monday and Tuesday. 519-575-4404 Ext. 3402 (R) 226-748-3195 (C) Berry Vrbanovic [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3403 (R) 519-741-2300 (W) North Dumfries Sue Foxton [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3407 (R) 519-621-0340 (W) Waterloo Dave Jaworsky [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3400 (R) Join our membership program today! 519-747-8700 (W) Jim Erb • Single annual membership only $35 (all rates plus HST) [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3411 (R) • Family annual membership only $60 (covers two adults and their We bring history to life! 226-752-9347 (C) dependant children) We collect and conserve Sean Strickland Bene ts [email protected] Our collections include heritage buildings, artifacts and archival 519-575-4404 Ext. 3414 (R) • Free unlimited admission to the museums operated by the materials that represent through time, the history and culture of 519-503-0613 (C) Region of Waterloo (Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, Doon Waterloo Region. Heritage Village, Schneider Haus National Historic Site and Wellesley Joe Nowak McDougall Cottage Historic Site) We exhibit and interpret [email protected] • 10 per cent gift shop discount at Schneider Haus National Historic The museum and historic sites o er a series of interesting and 519-575-4404 Ext. 3405 (R) Site and Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum educational programs, exhibits and special events. 519-656-2466 (H) • 10 per cent discount at Hazel's, the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Wilmot Museum café We keep you informed Les Armstrong • Discounts on selected workshops, special programs and lectures Receive a monthly eNewsletter and also receive advance notices [email protected] and invitations to special events and exhibit openings. 519-575-4404 Ext. 3412 (R) • One complimentary guest pass for you to share with a friend 226-748-8971(C) Reciprocal museum bene ts Woolwich • Free admission to many other museums. See website for details. Sandy Shantz [email protected] 519-575-4404 Ext. 3410 (R) 519-669-1647 (W) General fax for Council 519-575-4048 TTY: 519-575-4608 W-work R-region H-home C-cell REGION NEWS Printed on 100% recyclable paper. 8